THE BUZZ: When making a videogame, how do you satisfy different types of gamers who may come at the same game with expectations of different experiences?

That’s one of the issues Battlefield 3 producer Patrick Liu said that DICE faces when talking to Gamasutra’s Christian Nutt. For the first time in the numbered Battlefield series, Battlefield 3 will feature a single-player campaign. As well, the game will also bring with it an expansive co-op experience. How do you meld those elements together while also keeping the competitive multiplayer side of Battlefield 3 satisfying for players?

“We are trying to grow the franchise in different ways, always, and to do something new for us, whether it’s a feature like the destruction that was added in Bad Company or the single player that was also added in Bad Company,” Liu told Gamasutra. “Since then, it’s grown and grown as a franchise. Single player has become a core pillar now, and we’re adding coop for the first time. We’ll see what happens with that; if people like it, if it’s fun, it will probably grow into a core pillar, as well.”

At the same time, DICE is being careful to not push elements of the game onto those players who aren’t interested in them.

“Nothing is really forced upon you—nothing in multiplayer—but we give you the tools to cooperate and work together,” Lie continued. “Same thing with co-op; it’s much more fun to play with someone else, and we give you the tools to do that.”
For the full interview with Patrick Liu, hit the link below.

Do you like the bigger expansion of modes that Battlefield 3 will include? Will they make for a better game, or should DICE concentrate their efforts on the competitive multiplayer? Let us know in the comments below.

Eric L. Patterson got started via self-publishing game-related fanzines in junior high, and now has one goal in life: making sure EGM has as much coverage of niche Japanese games as can realistically be crammed in. Eric’s also active in the gaming community on a personal level, being an outspoken voice on topics such as equality in gaming and consumer rights. Stalk Eric on Twitter: @Eric_EGM. Meet the rest of the crew.